EVANGELIZING MODERN YOUNG PEOPLE

What follows is my attempt to provide (1) the Mindset of a Young Person, living in what we call post-modernity, and (2) a few comments on how to evangelize such.

1. My Soul within Post-Modernity – a young person’s confession

“There is no possibility of final truth. I can only know ‘truth for me’ or truth as I see it. The only ‘dogma’ I hold is that of relativism, which for me is non-negotiable and forms my mindset.

I am tolerant of varied approaches to life, to religion, to morality and to philosophy. I do not seek to impose my own views on anyone else but will share them if asked. I do not want others to force their views on me.

I am free to be uncommitted to anything at all. Especially I am free from supposed universal and objective or God-given principles, rules and doctrines as well as from the supposed authority of tradition. Nevertheless I do obey for the sake of peace the variety of regulations and rules imposed by government, society and university.

I preserve my freedom by standing back, by keeping at a distance from anything that could trouble me. For me there is no ultimate commitment or final obedience. At the same time I celebrate all expressions of relativism, of subjective approaches to truth, life and meaning.

Measured by old standards my chief “sins” could be described as sloth and cowardice (not pride!) and my general stance is defensiveness.

I preserve & cherish my freedom most particularly in the area of sexuality. I oppose, and defend myself against, chastity. And I do so NOT because I desire to be promiscuous but rather because I am fearful of the consequences of allowing the aspiration to chastity to enter my soul.

My sexual freedom – whether I exploit it or not – is my crucial line of defense against the demands of the old Authority (orthodox Christianity & the Person of Jesus Christ). Think of it…if I were to allow the “Gospel” into my soul and I found that its power could make me chaste, then if I am capable of “sanctification” here, then I am also capable of it in my intellect, my will and all my emotions. And I can’t allow that to happen!”

2. Communicating the Gospel
To proclaim the Gospel effectively to such people (and there are many on our campuses) one must offer nothing less than the whole and real thing. Only the full Gospel will penetrate the post-modern claim of freedom and the dogma of relativism. After declaring (in the most appropriate and suitable way) the existence of God who is the Creator, Judge and Savior, then the total demands of Christ should be set forth, concentrating for example, on his call for purity of soul in respect to sexual desire and habit. In other words, one goes for the citadel of sexual freedom which has to fall in order for the Gospel to enter the soul. For unless this barrier is broken down, the Gospel will always be kept at a distance and made to be one of the many possibilities of subjective truth and life.

The implication of this approach is that the bearers of the Gospel have to be repentant, believing persons, who are themselves seeking to be obedient to the full demands of this Gospel and its teaching. They need to be authentic witnesses, whose freedom is in their whole-hearted and whole-minded commitment to Jesus Christ and his will.

[It may be suggested here that many young people are able to be members of ECUSA and other old-line churches because the Gospel of Jesus Christ is never preached to them and they are fed with the food of relativism, a false gospel. Of course, it is nearly impossible for a church like the ECUSA to evangelize post-modern young people since it has both embraced post-modernity as a mindset, and in terms of sexuality it has embraced both the divorce culture and the lesbigay lobby. Regrettably this comment probably also applies in some degree to the so-called conservative churches as well as to the liberal churches within ECUSA, for they are all deeply affected by the culture of relativism and divorce. And, if I may dare to say so, it also probably applies to those churches which pride themselves on being “great commission [Matt 28] churches”. For they tend to leave aside or to forget the second half of the great commission (teach them to obey all that Christ has commanded) in their enthusiasm for converts and church growth.]

The tendency in popular American evangelization is to make the Gospel simple and easy to understand and receive. There may be a case for this with some people, but not so with the post-modern youth in the country. Nothing less that the whole Gospel with its call for total commitment and self-sacrifice, of true repentance and lively faith, will penetrate their souls and make disciples of the kingdom of God the Father. And then these converts will look for authentic, Gospel Churches!

The Revd Dr Peter Toon, Sept 26, 2001